Method for assessing chemical reactor tubes

ABSTRACT

A device and method for measuring the back pressure in chemical reactor tubes includes many automated features. Inflatable tube seals may be automatically inflated. The device may measure several tubes at once. It may transmit data electronically to a remote computer for analysis and graphic display.

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/244,450, filed Oct. 6, 2005, which is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No.6,981,404, filed Mar. 15, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.Pat. No. 6,725,706, filed Mar. 14, 2002, and claims priority from andincorporates by reference U.S. Provisional application Ser. No.60/276,780, filed Mar. 16, 2001 and U.S. Provisional application Ser.No. 60/314,859, filed Aug. 24, 2001.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to tubes in chemical reactors, and, inparticular, devices and methods for measuring the back pressure in thetubes and for blowing dust out of the tubes.

Many chemical reactors use a catalyst as part of the reaction process.The catalyst material frequently is coated onto or contained in asubstrate which is packed in tubes within the reactor. The reactantsflow through the tubes and out the open ends of the tubes, reacting inthe presence of the catalyst to form the products of the reaction. It isdesirable to be able to measure the packing of catalyst within the tubein order to determine whether the tube will function properly. Ideally,the catalyst packing in all the tubes will be very close to the same.However, in reality, there is a variation in packings which adverselyaffects the efficiency of the reaction by providing for differentresidence times in different tubes.

In order to assess the catalyst packing, a constant flow rate test gasis injected into the tubes, and the back pressure is measured, with theback pressure being proportional to the packing density. Higherdensities produce higher back pressures, and lower densities producelower back pressures. High back pressures can also indicate problemsother than high packing density, such as dust, fines, obstructions intubes, and the presence of foreign material. Low back pressures can alsoindicate problems other than low packing density, such as bridging. Thegoal is to measure the back pressure on each tube and determine whichtubes require corrective action. Then, once the appropriate correctiveaction has been taken, the corrected tubes can be retested.

Measurements may be taken when the tubes are first loaded with catalyst;in order to ensure that they are properly loaded, as well asperiodically during the operation of the reactor, such as during normalmaintenance shut-downs, and after cleaning. However, the devices andmethods that have been used in the past have been labor intensive andtime consuming, their accuracy has depended largely upon the skill ofthe operator, and they have yielded data that is not readily usable.

In order to obtain a seal between the test device and the chemicalreactor tube, the operator has typically inserted a stopper into thetube. Weldments and obstructions at the top of the tube can interferewith the ability to obtain a good seal, and failure of the operator tomaintain the device in a vertical orientation may also interfere withthe ability to obtain a good seal. The operator typically must keeptrack of his position manually, and the data that is obtained istypically written down on a notepad by a second person, sometimes withthe person who takes the measurements shouting over the noise of theplant to the person writing down the results. Also, the tubes aretypically measured one at a time, requiring many workers and a longshut-down time. With typical prior art methods, it is difficult to keeptrack of all the measurements, since there may be as many as 35,000tubes to be measured in a reactor, and transferring data from the manynotepads is slow and provides an opportunity for errors. In order todisplay the progress of the measurement process, the operators usuallyput colored caps on the tubes as they are measured, which istime-consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a device and method that improves theability to measure the back pressure in tubes, making the process muchmore accurate, faster, less labor intensive, more efficient, safer, lessdependent on the skill of the worker, and yielding more accurate andmore useful results. In a preferred embodiment, the measuring deviceuses an inflatable, conforming seal, which provides a good seal betweenthe measuring device and the chemical reactor tubes, even when weldmentsor other obstructions are present. Also, in a preferred embodiment, themeasuring device measures multiple tubes at once rather than measuringonly one tube at a time. Also, in a preferred embodiment, measurementsare stored at the measuring device, are transmitted electronically to aremote computer, and are displayed graphically in real time at a remotedisplay, such as in the control room, including indications of whichtubes are within predetermined specifications and which are not.

The visual display helps the plant engineer determine which tubesrequire corrective action and may permit the elimination of thetime-consuming prior art process of putting caps on all the tubes as themeasurements are being taken.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention also permit automatedhandling of the data and prompt statistical analysis andcost-effectiveness analysis of the measurement data in order to help theplant engineer make quick decisions about corrective actions to betaken. The measurements that have been taken with a prototype devicemade in accordance with the present invention are so accurate that theengineers can begin to recognize what particular variations in pressuredrops mean—for example, one pressure drop indicates that a foam pigaccidentally has been left in the tube after cleaning, while anotherindicates that an extra clip has been inserted to retain the catalyst.In addition, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a device andmethod are provided to remove dust from the tubes by blowing gas throughthem.

The gas used in the preferred embodiments as described herein may beair, nitrogen, or some other gas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view, partially in section, of a chemicalreactor including tubes packed with catalyst, and including a workermeasuring the back pressure in the tubes in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a worker measuring the back pressure ofthe tubes in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a tube layout for the reactor being measured,which is displayed on a graphic display as the measurements are beingmade;

FIG. 4 is a schematic front perspective view of a device for measuringthe back pressure of tubes, made in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of the device of FIG. 4, with someparts removed for clarity;

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a schematic gas flow diagram for the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8A is a schematic gas flow diagram for the device of FIG. 4 afterit has been reconfigured for blowing down the chemical reactor tubes;

FIG. 9 is a side view partially in section showing one of the injectortubes of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a side view partially in section of the umbilical wandportion of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the control panel of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the graphic display shown at the remotecomputer in the arrangement of FIG. 2;

FIG. 12A shows a portion of the graphic display of FIG. 12;

FIG. 12B shows another portion of the graphic display of FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is a broken-away schematic view of the upper portion of thereactor as the chemical reactor tubes are being blown down or measuredby the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 14 is a front view of a target for use with the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the target of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a view taken along the section 16-16 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a schematic front view of the device of FIG. 4 after it hasbeen reconfigured for blowdown;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a calibration fixture for use with thedevice of FIG. 4;

FIG. 18A is an exploded perspective view showing how the tubes of thecalibration fixture of FIG. 18 are mounted on the frame, and this is thesame mounting arrangement used for the tubes on the wand of FIG. 4;

FIG. 19 is a broken-away top view of the calibration fixture of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a broken-away bottom perspective view of a portion of thecalibration fixture of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is an electrical schematic of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 22 is an electrical schematic of the power and data module portionof FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is an electrical schematic of the blowdown control module ofFIG. 17;

FIG. 24 is a schematic showing a method for loading a tube that includesa hollow sleeve housing several thermocouples, with the sleeve extendingout the top of the tube;

FIG. 25 is a schematic showing a method for blowing down a tube thatincludes a hollow sleeve housing several thermocouples, with the sleeveextending out the bottom of the tube; and

FIG. 26 is a schematic showing a method for blowing down a tube thatincludes a hollow sleeve extending out the top of the tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a chemical reactor 10, including aplurality of tubes 12, which hold catalyst. The tubes 12 extenddownwardly from an upper plate (or tube sheet) 11 and are open on thebottom, except for clips (not shown), which may be used to prevent thecatalyst from falling out the bottom of the tubes. A manway 14 providesaccess for workers to get into the reactor 10. A worker 16 is showninside the reactor 10, measuring the back pressure in the catalyst tubes12. In other reactors, the top may be fully removable, providingimproved access.

FIG. 2 shows the worker 16 standing on the plate 11 and operating ahand-held wand 18, which measures the back pressure in the tubes 12. Thedetails of the wand 18 are shown better in FIG. 4. The wand includes ahandle 28, a wand body 26, and a plurality of injector tubes 30 rigidlymounted together to form a single portable unit which is sufficientlyrigid that the injector tubes can be inserted simultaneously into theirrespective reactor tubes simply by picking up the wand 18 by the handle28, aligning the wand 18 with the group of reactor tubes to be measured,and then lowering the wand's handle 28 so that all the injector tubes 30enter into respective reactor tubes 12 at once. When the wand 18 isinserted into a bank of ten tubes in the plate 11, it is self-supportingand rests on the plate 11. The wand 18 is connected to a gas line 20 andcommunicates with a remote computer 22 through a power and data module24. In this particular embodiment, the gas line 20 is the plant airsupply. The power and data module 24 may supply the power to thecomputer 22 and to the hand-held wand 18. However, the wand 18preferably operates on battery power, and the computer 22 preferablyoperates on a battery or is plugged into a regular alternating currentoutlet. The wand 18 communicates with the power and data module 24 inreal time by means of radio signals, but other means for transmittingdata to the computer 22 could be used, such as hard wiring the wand 18to the power and data module 24 or downloading data from the wand 18onto a portable medium such as a disk, which can then be carried to theremote computer 22. The remote computer 22 may be located in the controlroom or in some other convenient location.

Also shown in FIG. 2 is a target 25, which is used by a laser measuringdevice 27 on the wand 18 to determine the position of the wand 18 inorder to confirm which tubes 12 are being measured. The target 25preferably is placed in the first tube 12 of a row, and serves as areference point, as will be described later. While the target 25 hasproven to be a convenient reference point for making measurements, otherreference points could be used, such as the side wall of the reactor,for example.

The location of the laser measurement device 27 is best seen in FIG. 4.FIG. 4 shows that the laser measuring device 27 is fixed relative to theinjector tubes 30 by being affixed to the wand. As a result, thedistance measured by the laser to the reference point also establishesthe position of each of the injector tubes 30 relative to the referencepoint. Thus, when the injector tubes 30 are placed in their respectivereceptacles, the reactor tubes 12 can be identified automatically basedon the distance measured by the laser. So the injector tubes 30 are notonly used to inject fluid but also function as probes which locate thetube positions.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the plate 11. This plan view is also a portionof the screen display that is shown on the display screen of thecomputer 22 to visually indicate the tubes that are being measured, asshown in FIG. 12. Prior to using the wand 18 in the reactor 10, a layoutof the tubes is obtained and is made available to the computer 22 and tothe controller 32 for the wand 18. This layout is shown graphically asin FIG. 3. As the wand 18 is being used, the data from the wand 18 isstored at the wand 18 and is transmitted to the computer 22. This datais displayed on the screen of the computer 22 or other graphicinterface, as will be explained later.

FIG. 4 is a front schematic view of the wand 18. The wand 18 includes ahollow wand body 26 (see FIG. 5), with a hollow handle 28 at its upperend and a plurality of injector tubes 30 at its lower end. The wand 18receives regulated pressurized gas (such as air, nitrogen, or anothergas) through a gas line 20. The wand 18 defines two different gas pathsfor each injector tube 30—a test gas path and an inflation gas path. Thetest gas path provides the gas that passes through die injector tube 30into the respective chemical reactor tube 12 for testing the chemicalreactor tube. The inflation gas path provides the gas that is used toinflate the seal on the injector tube 30 so that the injector tubes 30of the wand 18 seal against the interior of the respective chemicalreactor tubes 12.

As shown in FIG. 9, each of the injector tubes 30 includes a hollowtubular member 52 defining an internal gas flow path 54 with an openbottom outlet through which the test gas passes into the respectivechemical reactor tube 12. A gas-impermeable, elastic sleeve 56 ismounted over the tubular member 52 and is sealed against the tubularmember 52 by means of upper and lower ferrules or clamps 58. A recess 60is formed in the outer surface of the tubular member, and that recess 60receives an inflation tube 62. The depth of the recess 60 preferably isthe same as the thickness of the inflation tube 62 at the upper ferruleor clamp 58, so that a good seal is formed there. The inflation tube 62forms an inflation gas path that allows gas to be injected between theouter surface of the tubular member 52 and the inner surface of thesleeve 56 in order to inflate the sleeve 56. The inflation tube 62preferably is welded, adhered, or otherwise secured to the tubularmember 52. The bottom of the tubular member 52 is threaded, and thisparticular tubular member 52 receives a frustro-conical guide member 80on its threaded end, which helps guide the injector tube 30 into thechemical reactor tube 12.

FIGS. 4-10 show the main components of the wand 18. Mounted on the wand18 is a main wand control box 34, which houses the main controls for thewand 18. An antenna 37 projects out of the control box 34. Below themain wand control box 34 is a secondary control box 35. A conduit 39houses wires and a measuring tube 74A that extend between the controlboxes 34, 35. A manual shut-off valve 36 can be used to shut off theflow of gas through the wand body 26. An inflation gas pressureregulator 38 regulates the pressure of gas going to the inflation tubes62. An inflation path solenoid valve 42 (see FIG. 8) opens and closesthe gas flow to the inflation tubes 62. An inflation path manifold 44(see FIG. 7) distributes the incoming inflation gas to a plurality ofhose fittings 46, which connect to hoses 48, which lead to the inflationgas paths 62 of the injector tubes 30.

In this particular embodiment, there are eleven injector tubes—teninjector tubes 30 mounted on a frame member 50, and the eleventhinjector tube 30A is on a freely-movable umbilical wand 18A, generallyfor use in locations that are not accessible by the larger wand 18. Theumbilical wand 18A can be used independently of the ten other injectortubes 30, so the ten tubes 30 can be inserted into reactor tubes whenthe umbilical wand 18A is in use, or they can be completely out of thereactor tubes when the umbilical wand 18A is in use. There is a cushion83 on the bottom of the frame member 50 to help absorb the impact as theinjector tubes 30 of the wand 18 are inserted into the chemical reactortubes 12. It is preferred that a separate inflation path solenoid valve42A be provided for the umbilical seal 30A, as shown in the schematic ofFIG. 21.

Referring to FIG. 8, the test gas passes through the shut-off valve 36,through the main pressure regulator 40, and to the main manifold 64,which distributes the test gas to a plurality of needle valves or otherconstant flow devices 66, such as sonic nozzles, orifice plates, orprecision orifices. A Nozzle or orifice can be used to obtain andmaintain a constant gas flow rate while back pressure testing. Backpressure testing may be used for various purposes, such as to verifythat the packing density of catalyst is proper or to determine that atube is empty after it has been cleaned. Tubes can be difficult tocompletely clean along their entire length and are typically cleaned bywater blasting, sand blasting, passing a compliant material through themsuch as a piece of foam propelled by compressed air, or by wire brushingor passing a wire brush along the tube length using compressed air.Constant gas flow of the test gas is achieved by operating each nozzleor orifice in such a manner that its sonic coefficient is maintained. Asonic condition is said to be achieved and maintained if the ratio ofdownstream absolute pressure to upstream absolute pressure through thenozzle or orifice is less than its sonic coefficient. Then the flowthrough the nozzle or orifice should be sonic and should provide aconstant flow rate. This permits the back pressure measurement to beused to indicate the degree of obstruction, from an open tube, to a tubepacked with catalyst, up to a certain maximum back pressure at which thesonic coefficient is no longer satisfied. The flow rate is accordinglydesigned to ensure that the regulator mounted on the wand body, itsadjusted setting, and the orifice or nozzle opening are all coordinatedfor a specific flow rate through the tube under test up to a maximumback pressure. From each constant flow device 66, the test gas passesthrough a respective T 68, and through the internal path 54 of therespective tubular member 52 into the respective chemical reactor tube12. Another T fitting 70 is located just above each tubular member 52,and a measurement tube 72 extends from each fitting 70 to its respectiveinlet at the multiplex manifold at the multiplex valve 74. The outlet ofthe multiplex valve 74 is connected to a pressure sensor 76. A pressureswitch 78 is in communication with each measurement tube 72, and, if thepressure in the line exceeds a predetermined limit, the pressure switch78 closes and prevents the channel of the multiplex valve 74corresponding to that measurement tube 72 from opening, therebypreventing gas communication with the digital pressure sensor 76. Thisprotects the pressure sensor 76 from being damaged by exposure to highpressure gas.

When the wand 18 is being used to test a plurality of chemical reactortubes 12, the test gas flows continuously through the tubular members 52into the chemical reactor tubes 12, and the multiplex valve 74 goesthrough a cycle by which it puts each of the measurement tubes 72 in gascommunication with the pressure sensor 76, one at a time. In thismanner, a single pressure sensor 76 is used to measure the back pressurein all the injector tubes 30 of the wand 18. Since the gas flow enteringthe chemical reactor tubes 12 through the injector tubes 30 has beencarefully regulated by the flow control devices 66 to establish apressure drop across the flow control devices 66 and a constant gas flowto the tubes 12, the back pressure that is generated in each chemicalreactor tube 12 is in proportion to the flow resistance produced by thecatalyst in that chemical reactor tube 12. That resistance, in turn, isproportional to the density with which the catalyst is packed (which isto be assessed by the testing operation). As the chemical reactor tube12 becomes more and more packed, the back pressure approaches thepressure on the supply side of the flow control device 66.

It will be noted that at least the injector tubes 30 at the ends of thewand 18 and on the umbilical injector tube 30A have tapered end pieces80, which help in guiding the wand 18 into the chemical reactor tubes 12to be tested. Of course, tapered ends 80 could be provided for all theinjector tubes 30 if desired. In this embodiment, the injector tubes 30are arranged linearly, with an equal spacing between the injector tubes30. However, other arrangements, such as a triangular array of injectortubes 30 could be provided if desired. The spacing between the injectortubes 30 can be adjusted, and different diameter injector tubes 30 maybe used, depending upon the configuration of the reactor, as will bedescribed later.

There is an interlock switch 82 on an adjustable position clip (see FIG.5) which projects downwardly from behind the frame member 50. Thepurpose of the switch 82 is to ensure that the injector tubes 30 areinserted all the way into the chemical reactor tubes 12, and the switch82 is contacting the plate 11, before the sleeves 56 can be inflated.When the interlock switch 82 closes, and the start switch 109 isdepressed, the central processor 32 causes the inflation path solenoidvalve 42 to open and initiates inflation of the sleeves 56. In thisembodiment, the switch 82 signals the central processor 32 in thecontrol box 34, which, in turn, closes a relay which opens the inflationpath solenoid valve 42, allowing gas to pass through the inflation pathmanifold 44 to inflate the injector tubes 30. The switch 82 protects thesleeves or bladders 56 against overinflation by preventing them frominflating unless they are inside the chemical reactor tubes 12 to betested.

The umbilical injector wand 18A (shown best in FIG. 10) includes aninjector tube 30A that is essentially the same as the other ten injectortubes 30, except that it is not fixed onto the main frame 50. Instead,as shown in FIG. 5, it is connected to a longer gas inlet hose 84 andhas a longer measuring tube 72A and longer inflation tube 62, so that itcan be held in the operator's hand and inserted individually into one ofthe chemical reactor tubes 12. This is helpful in the event that some ofthe chemical reactor tubes 12 are not accessible by the regular bank ofinjector tubes 30. The umbilical injector tube 30A also includes atubular member 52 defining an internal path 54, and a sleeve 56 and aninflation tube 62, which is used to inflate the sleeve 56.

At the top of the body of the umbilical wand 18A is a frame member 85,and a handle 86 is mounted onto the frame member 85. Projectingdownwardly from the bottom of the frame member 85 is an interlock switch82A, which serves the same function as the interlock switch 82 on themain frame 50, ensuring that the umbilical injector tube 30A is insertedinto the chemical reactor tube 12 and the switch 82A is depressedagainst the plate 11 before the solenoid valve 42A is activated so thatthe sleeve 56 can be inflated. There is also a start switch 88 on therear surface of the frame member 85, which the operator uses to initiatea test using the umbilical wand 18A. The tubular member 52 of theumbilical injector tube 30A mounts onto its frame member 85 in the samemanner that the other injector tubes 30 mount onto their frame member50, as will be described later.

A holster 90 (see FIG. 10) mounts on the main wand 18 to hold theumbilical injector tube 30A when the umbilical wand 18A is not in use.When the umbilical injector tube 30A is inside the holster 90, itssleeve 56 is enclosed and contained by the holster 90.

FIG. 11 is a view looking down on the control box 34 of the wand 18. Thecontrol box 34 includes a display 92 as well as a number of controls.The display 92 in this example is indicating R:7; T:1, which tells theoperator that the wand 18 is measuring the chemical reactor tubes 12 inrow 7, beginning with tube 1. The display 92 in this view also includesten pressure readings, which indicate the back pressure in tubes 1-10 ofrow 7. In the upper left corner is a stop button 94, which can be usedto shut off the gas supply to the inflation tubes 62 and stop themeasurement. Below that is a keyed switch 96, which is used forinitializing and calibrating the unit. Next is a switch 98 that switchesthe unit between automatic and manual modes. Next is a switch 100 whichpermits the worker to alternate between viewing the measurements for thecurrent set of chemical reactor tubes 12 and for the previous set ofchemical reactor tubes 12. Next is a “find” button 102, which, whenpushed, uses the laser measuring device 27 to take a distancemeasurement relative to the target 25 to determine which group ofchemical reactor tubes 12 is being measured. When the “find” button 102is depressed, it also includes a light 102A, which lights up (seeelectrical schematic of FIG. 21). Next is a “first tube” button 104,which is depressed to indicate that the wand 18 is at the first tube inthe particular row. This button also includes a light 104A (see FIG.21), which lights up when the button is depressed. Next is a toggleswitch 106 for increasing or decreasing the tube number on the display92, and above that is a toggle switch 108 for increasing or decreasingthe row number on the display 92. A “start” button 109 is located on thehandle 28A of the wand 18 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and is depressed by theworker to begin the sequence for measuring a group of chemical reactortubes 12.

It should be noted that it would be possible to provide devices thatinclude only some of the elements that have been shown here, notrequiring all of those elements. For example, it would be possible toprovide a device that includes a measurer, such as the laser measurerdescribed above, a couple of probes shaped like the injector tubes 30,that would be inserted into reactor tubes 12, and an on-board computerin which is stored a “list to fix”. An operator could then use thisdevice to locate the tubes that were found to need work during the test,for example using the device to locate tubes that need to be capped ormarked accordingly for specific corrections such as adding some catalystor removing the tube contents and refilling with catalyst.

FIGS. 3,12, 12A, and 12B show an example of the graphic display that isavailable at the remote laptop computer 22. The data that is input intothe laptop 22 and the central processor 32 prior to the test preferablyalso includes information as to which tube locations actually are takenup by thermocouples or actually house supporting structure or mechanicalplugs rather than tubes. If so, this is shown on the screen even beforeany measurements are taken (as well as afterwards). For example,thermocouples may be shown in orange, while support structure may beshown in black. It should be noted that the modem 24 and computer 22 maybe receiving data from several wands 18 at once. The initial layoutspecifies a row and tube number for every tube position, so that thedata that comes in can be associated with a particular position on thestored layout.

As measurements are taken by the wand (or wands) 18, the data, includingrow and tube number location as well as the back pressure readings andthe wand identifier are transmitted electronically back to the modem 24and are displayed at the computer screen 22 in real time. In thisembodiment, the data is transmitted from the antenna 37 on the controlbox 34 to the antenna on the remote modem 24, but the data could betransmitted through wires, through an internet connection, or throughother known transmission means. The data which is stored at the wand 18could also be downloaded later to the remote computer 22.

The linked data transmitted from the want is graphically displayed inpictorial format at the remote computer 22, as shown in FIGS. 3, 12,12A, and 12B.

The view of FIG. 3 showing the chemical reactor tubes 12 will indicatethe tubes in various colors as they are measured, depending upon whetherthey have passed the preset criteria for the test. For example, if thetube back pressure measurement is within the specifications for thatreactor, then that tube will show up in green on the screen. If the tubefails high, it will show up in red. If it fails low, it will show up inyellow. If the tube back pressure is so high that it is consideredplugged, it will show up in dark gray. If the tube back pressure is solow that it is considered open, it will show up in white. Untested tubesshow up as a gray ring with a black dot in the center. Of course, thisproposed color scheme could be altered by the user if desired, as longas the color usage is consistent. It should also be noted that separatedata sets may be kept for various conditions of the reactor, such as formeasurements taken after cleaning out the tubes, after filling thetubes, after blowing down the tubes, after operation of the reactor fora period of time, for sample measurements that may be taken to establishthe test specifications, and for measurements taken after variouscorrective actions are taken. Also, these data sets may be stored duringthe life of the reactor, providing the plant engineer with valuablehistoric information about the reactor.

The person viewing the computer screen may choose to zoom in on aparticular section of the reactor, if desired. If the person viewing thescreen wants information about a particular chemical reactor tube 12, hemoves his cursor over that tube in the portion of the screen shown inthe graphic of FIG. 3, and the information for that tube will appear inthe portion of the screen shown in FIG. 12A. For example, the sampleshown in FIG. 12A indicates that we are viewing the information for row#12, tube #12. The display indicates the pressure in the most recenttest, the status of the tube, the wand 18 which took the measurement,and the date, time, and operator for that measurement. There is also agraphic indicator in the upper right of the screen of FIG. 12A, withrings of color indicating the status of this tube in previousmeasurements and in the current measurement.

The circle 112 includes an outer band 114, which has a color indicatingwhich wand 18 took the most recent measurement prior to correction. Justinside the outer band 114 is a large color field 116, which indicates bycolor the results of the most recent test prior to correction. Thenthere is an inner band 118, which indicates by color which wand took themost recent test after correction. Inside the inner band 118 is anothercolor field 120, which indicates by color the results of the most recenttest after correction, and the number 122 inside that field 120represents the number of times the tube has been retested during thecorrection process. So, in this case, if the outermost band 114 is blue,that indicates that the blue wand conducted the most recent test priorto making corrections. If the color field 116 just inside the outer bandis red, that indicates that the tube failed high on the most recent testprior to correction. If the inner band 118 is also blue, that indicatesthat the same wand conducted the most recent test during the correctionprocess, and if the small inner color field 120 is green, that indicatesthat the tube has now passed. The number “2” inside the color field 120indicates that this tube has been retested twice during the correctionprocess. The original test data are not shown in this icon, but they arestored and can be retrieved as desired. Since the display for anyparticular tube in FIG. 3 is too small to include all this detail, itwill, by default, simply show the color indicating the results of themost recent test. However, if the plant engineer wanted to view thedisplay of FIG. 3 for any historic data set, he could obtain that aswell.

The portion of the display shown in FIG. 12A also indicates the row andtube, the pressure measured for that tube, the last status as of theprevious measurement (if any), the wand number, date, time, and operatorfor the measurement. Below the data for that particular tube is dataabout the test in general—the total number of tubes, the number of tubestested, the percent completed, and statistical information. The plantengineer may access the complete information for any tube simply bypointing to the particular tube on the display of FIG. 3 with thecursor, or he may input the particular tube and row number, or he mayrun a “list to fix” report or other report, pick up the tubes withproblems from that report, and may access the data about those tubes byclicking on them in the report.

FIG. 12B shows additional data that is presented on the computer screen.This portion provides the specifications for what pressure would beconsidered a failure on the high side, what pressure would be considereda failure on the low side, what pressure would indicate that the tube isplugged, and what pressure would indicate that the tube is open. It alsoindicates how many tubes met those criteria, and what those tubes'failure costs in terms of lost production, wasted reactants, and soforth. There is also an analysis of the number and percentage of tubesthat met the criteria for being within the specifications for each test.

In addition to the data shown in these figures, the computer 22generates a “list to fix”, which is a prioritized list of which tubesshould be corrected and what should be done to correct them, based onthe criteria that have been set, such as cost or pressure criteria.

Of course, once the data has been acquired, the information displayed inthese screens can be varied, depending upon what the user wants. Forexample, the plant engineer may wish to display the “list to fix”,indicating in order of priority which chemical reactor tubes 12 shouldbe plugged, which tubes should be blown down, which tubes should bere-loaded with catalyst, and so forth. The plant engineer may set hisown criteria, which the computer 22 will use to establish the “list tofix”, prioritizing the list based on the criteria that have beenestablished by the plant engineer. The criteria that are established toset the specifications for what is a failure on the high side or the lowside and what is “plugged” or “open” may be specific pressure readings,or they may be based on a statistical analysis of the data. As more datais collected, and as the plant engineer has more experience with theactual pressure data, actual production data, and actual costs, thespecifications for determining which tubes pass and which tubes have thehighest priority for corrections, and the way the data is used maybecome much more sophisticated.

The information provided by this arrangement, the speed with which it isdelivered, its accuracy, as well as the way it is presented, make itvery useful for the plant engineer. The plant engineer now has a way ofdetermining the cost of out-of-specification tubes and the ability topinpoint them and correct them promptly during the plant shut-down, whentime is of the essence. He then can adjust his specification criteriaand cost information based on experience. Since the wand reports eachtube's measurements back to the computer 22, the plant engineer knowsfor certain, as the test is being conducted, that the equipment tubes 12have been tested. This system provides a quality control check on theinstallers of catalyst. This device and method provide a tremendousamount of useful information in very user friendly format that the plantengineer has never had before. In a variety of ways, it helps the plantengineer make better decisions to improve the efficiency of the plant.

In the prior art, each chemical reactor tube 12 was capped in a certaincolor as the testing process was proceeding in order to provide a visualindication of the test results and the progress of the test. If desired,a detachable tube capping guide 33 (shown in FIG. 2) may be plugged intothe control box 35, including ten rows of lights, with three differentcolors of lights 33A for each injector tube 30, to indicate by the colorof light that is lit up by the central processor 32 whether that tubefailed high, failed low, or passed the test criteria. The operator couldthen use that guide to place the appropriate color of cap onto each tubeas the measurements progress. However, it is expected that the visualdata provided at the computer 22 will be so much more helpful than werethe prior art caps that plant engineers will find the capping step to beunnecessary and will decide to save money by eliminating the use of capsin tests that use the wand 18.

In addition, a simulation package may be provided to the plant engineerprior to taking measurements, to give the plant engineer experience inmaking decisions about corrective actions to be taken before themeasurements are even taken. This may help the plant engineer make quickdecisions during the plant shut-down, when time is especially valuable.

FIG. 13 shows schematically the laser measurement device 27 on the wand18 measuring a distance back to a target 25, which is mounted in thefirst tube 12 of the row of chemical reactor tubes 12 being measured.The laser measurement device 27 shines a light onto the reflectorportion 110 of the target 25, and the light is reflected back to thedevice 27, establishing a distance measurement from the wand to thetarget, which is converted by the microcomputer 32 to a tube number. Thesoftware also permits the operator to put the flag into a differentchemical reactor tube 12 other than the first tube and to instruct thecentral processor 32 to compensate accordingly, so that the centralprocessor 32 always indicates the correct position of the wand 18. Asshown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the target 25 has two legs 111, which fit intotwo adjacent chemical reactor tubes 12 in a row. One of the legs 111preferably is mounted in a slot in order to permit adjustment of thespacing between the legs 111 to fit the spacing between chemical reactortubes 12 in a particular reactor.

When the first tubes in a row are being measured, there is no reflectorpresent, and the operator simply presses the “first tube” button 104 onthe control panel to indicate that the first injector tube 30 on thewand 18 is being inserted into the first chemical reactor tube 12 inthat row. When the operator removes the wand 18 from the first group oftubes, he inserts the reflector 110, and thereafter the display 92 onthe control box 34 automatically indicates the tube position beingmeasured based on the distance measurement from the laser measurementdevice 27. After the wand 18 has measured the end of a row, the display92 automatically increases the row number in preparation for measuringthe next row.

FIG. 17 shows a wand 18 that has been reconfigured for use in blowingdown the chemical reactor tubes 12. (While it is possible to use thewand 18 in its initial configuration to blow down tubes, the flowcontrol devices 66 may prevent a high enough volume of gas from flowingthrough to be effective for blowing down the chemical reactor tubes 12to remove dust. In that case, this reconfiguration may be used.) Whilethere is still a gas inlet at the handle 28 in order to inflate thesleeves 56, a new gas inlet 124 has been provided to supply high volumegas for blowdown. This new gas inlet 124 feeds the main manifold 64, butthe flow control devices 66 have been removed from the line, so that thegas simply flows straight through the main manifold 64 and through thelines 84, through the internal paths 54 of the tubes 52, and into thechemical reactor tubes 12. This permits a high volume of gas to besupplied into the chemical reactor tubes 12 to blow them down, removingdust. The operator may choose not to take pressure measurements duringthe blow-down operation, or the wand may be configured not to takepressure measurements during blow-down, if desired. However, the display92 on the control panel of FIG. 1I will show which chemical reactortubes 12 are being blown down, and the data may be transmitted to thelaptop computer 22, indicating which tubes are being blown down, whichwand 18 is being used, and the time and date of the procedure. Thevisual display 92 then will show the chemical reactor tubes 12 that havebeen blown down by indicating those tubes in a special color. Thisprovides quality control, so the plant engineer can confirm that thetubes actually have been blown down. While the wand 18 can be convertedback and forth from the measurement mode to the blowdown mode, with theconfigurations shown here, it takes time to make the conversion.Therefore, it may be preferable simply to provide two different types ofwands—one for taking measurements and one for blowdown. Alternatively, avalving arrangement may be provided to permit conversion from one modeto the other simply by opening and closing valves to open and close thedifferent pathways that are used for the different operations,preferably bypassing the flow control devices 66 and closing the flowthrough the measurement tubes 72 during the blow down operation. Or, ifsufficient gas flow can be achieved in the normal measurementarrangement to accomplish effective blowdown, then the originalconfiguration of the wand may be used, and the wand's central processor32 may simply provide for a delay in taking measurements, so that thetest gas is first used for blowdown and then for taking measurements.

In the blowdown mode of FIG. 17, the control box 34 continues tofunction, using the laser measurement device 27 and target 25, todetermine the chemical reactor tubes 12 that are being blown down andsending that information to the remote computer 22.

FIG. 8A shows the gas flow arrangement for the blowdown mode of FIG. 17.In that arrangement, the inflation gas route is the same as in themeasurement mode. However, instead of the regular test gas route, thetest gas used for blowdown simply goes through a valve, and then throughthe main manifold 64 to all the tubular members 52.

FIGS. 18-20 show a test stand 126 used to calibrate the wand 18 fortaking back pressure measurements. The stand 126 includes a frame member128, which is supported on base frame members 130 by means of uprights132. Several calibration tubes 134 are mounted on the frame member 128.

As shown in FIG. 18A, the frame member 128 has a substantially U-shapedcross-section and includes lips 129 that project inwardly toward thebase 131 of the U. Straps 133 have T-shaped ends, including hookedportions 135, which fit into the recesses 137 formed in the frame member128. The straps 133 preferably are assembled onto the frame member 128by sliding them in from the end, and their shape, in cooperation withthe shape of the frame member 128, restricts their movement relative tothe frame member to linear movement along the frame member 128. Aplastic end piece 138 is placed over the end of the calibration tube134, and the straps 133 are clamped together around the end piece 138and calibration tube 134 by means of bolts 140 and nuts 142, with thebolts 140 extending through holes 144 in the straps 133. This mountingarrangement allows the position of the calibration tube 134 to beadjusted along the length of the frame member 128 by sliding the straps133 linearly along the frame and then to be fixed in place once thebolts 140 are tightened.

The uprights 132 are secured to the frame members 128, 130 in the samemanner that the calibration tubes 134 are mounted onto the frame member128, and the injector tubes 30 are secured onto the frame 50 of the wand18 in the same manner as well. This permits adjustment of the positionsof the injector tubes 30 along the frame members, and it permitsdifferent sizes of injector tubes 30 to be used on the same frame member50. In this manner, the wand 18 can be reconfigured for measuringdifferent reactors, having different tube diameters and different tubespacings.

Each of the calibration tubes 134 is closed at the bottom, except for aprecision orifice 136 (see FIG. 20), which imitates the effect of thepacking in the open-ended chemical reactor tubes 12. In order tocalibrate the wand 18, the injector tubes 30 are inserted into thecalibration tubes 134, gas is sent through the inflation path to sealthe injector tubes 30 against the inside of the calibration tubes 134,and then gas is sent through the test path, and a back pressure readingis taken for each chemical reactor tube 12. The central processor 32then generates correction factors as needed for each injector tube 30 inorder to correct for any variations in the measurements, and thesecorrection factors are used by the central processor 32 as the chemicalreactor tubes 12 in a reactor are measured, in order to standardize themeasurements from one injector tube 30 to another.

FIGS. 21 and 22 are an electrical schematic of the wand 18, showing theinputs and outputs to and from the central processor 32, which havealready been described. There is a direct current power connection tothe control box 34 of the wand 18, which may come from the remote powerand data module 24 or from another power source. Measurements taken bythe wand 18 may be transmitted through a modem and antenna 37 on thewand 18 to the antenna on the remote power and data module 24, or theymay be transmitted through another means, as discussed earlier. Ofcourse, this arrangement also permits the wand 18 to receiveinstructions or data from a remote source as well. The power and datamodule 24 communicates with the laptop computer 22. Alternatively, thedata may simply be stored in the wand 18 and later downloaded to theremote computer 22.

FIG. 23 shows the additional controls that are added for the blowdownmode as shown in FIG. 17. These controls take their power from the maincontrol box 34 for the wand 18 through a power cord 146, and the valve148 which opens a gas path from the inlet 124 to the main manifold 64 isonly opened after the seals 56 are inflated.

In a typical setting, the wand 18 (or several wands 18) would beprepared with injector tubes 30, 30A having the correct diameters andspacings for the reactor to be measured. The configuration of thereactor, including the locations of the chemical reactor tubes 12 wouldbe loaded into the wand central processor 32 and into the laptopcomputer 22. Then, the wands 18, power and data module 24, laptopcomputer 22, and calibration or test stand 126 would be transported tothe site.

If blowdown is to be done first, then the wands 18 may be configured forblowdown, or special blowdown wands may be used if needed. The workerswould then go along the plate 11, blowing down all the chemical reactortubes 12. The workers would take their wands 18 to the end of a row,would use the toggle switch 108 if needed to make sure the display 92 isindicating the correct row, would insert the injector tubes 30 into thefirst group of chemical reactor tubes 12 in the row, and would push the“first tube” button 104, to indicate that the first tube is beingmeasured. Then, the worker would push the “start” button 109 on thehandle 28A. If the switch 82 is depressed, indicating that the wand 18has been properly inserted into the chemical reactor tubes 12, then,when the “start” button 109 is pushed, the central processor 32 wouldopen the solenoid valve 42 for the tube seals, inflating the sleeves 56to seal against the inside of the chemical reactor tubes 12. The testgas would be flowing through the injector tubes 30 continuously. Oncethe first group of chemical reactor tubes 12 has been blown down, theworker would move to the next group of ten (or whatever number isprovided on the wand) and would insert the target 25 into the first twotubes of the row so that the laser measuring device 27 couldautomatically measure the distance from the wand 18 to the target 25,thereby automatically determining which chemical reactor tubes 12 arebeing blown down. The central processor 32 would transmit thisinformation electronically to the power and data module 24, telling itwhich wand 18 is being used, the time and date, and which chemicalreactor tubes 12 are being blown down. (The identification of the workerwho is using the wand 18 is expected to be in the set-up informationthat is input into the computer 22 before the test and therefore wouldnot have to be transmitted.) The power and data module 24 would, inturn, transmit this information to the laptop computer 22, so the plantengineer could see in real time on the computer screen the chemicalreactor tubes 12 being blown down. If the wand 18 does not have to bereconfigured for blow-down, then the workers may perform the blow-downand the back-pressure measurement in one step, inserting the wand 18into a bank of reactor tubes 12, blowing down the tubes, and thenmeasuring the back pressure in the tubes before moving, on to the nextgroup of reactor tubes 12.

Before measurements are taken, the wands 18 would be configured fortaking measurements and would be calibrated at the test stand 126.Again, each worker would take his wand 18 to the beginning of a row ofchemical reactor tubes 12 to be measured and would insert the injectortubes 30 into the chemical reactor tubes 12. He would then use the rowtoggle switch 108 to make sure the correct row is showing on the display92 and would then press the “first tube” button 104. Then, he would pushthe “start” button 109. If the switch 82 indicates that the injectortubes 30 are properly inserted into the chemical reactor tubes 12, thecentral processor 32 would open the solenoid valve 42 to inflate theseals on the injector tubes 30. Then, the central processor 32 wouldopen the multiplex valve 74, one channel at a time, permitting thepressure sensor 76 to measure the back pressures in the measurementtubes 72 one at a time, until the back pressure for all the injectortubes 30 has been measured, stored at the wand 18, and transmitted tothe power and data module 24.

Once the first group of chemical reactor tubes 12 has been measured, theworker would move to the next group (of ten tubes in this arrangement)and would insert the target 25 in the first tube. Thereafter, thecentral processor 32 will automatically keep track of which chemicalreactor tubes 12 are being measured, with the operator simply pressingthe “start” button 109 each time a group of chemical reactor tubes 12 isto be measured, thereby causing the wand 18 to take the distance andpressure measurements and transmit the data for each chemical reactortube 12 to the power and data module 24. If the worker comes to anobstacle or to the end of a row, he will put his tenth (or last)injector tube 30 into the last tube before the obstacle or the last tubeat the end of the row, and may re-measure some of the chemical reactortubes 12 that have already been measured.

If the worker comes to a chemical reactor tube 12 that cannot readily bereached by the whole wand 18, he may choose to use the umbilical wand18A. This works in the same manner as the regular measurements, exceptthat the worker would use the switch 98 to put the wand 18 into themanual mode and would use the toggle switches 106, 108 to be sure thecorrect tube row and tube number are being indicated. Then he wouldpress the “start” switch 88 on the umbilical wand 18A, and, if theinterlock switch 82A is closed, indicating that the injector tube 30 isfully inserted into the chemical reactor tube 12 to be tested, ameasurement will be taken.

Adjustments for Changed Conditions

Since testing a reactor with as many as 30,000 chemical reactor tubes 12can take a number of hours, even when using multiple wands 18 at thesame time, changes in ambient conditions and in gas supply conditionsduring the test period can affect the pressure measurements. Thesechanges may be corrected for based on the gas law pv=nrT. Changes in theambient environment and in the gas supply that may be measured andadjusted for include: supply gas temperature, supply gas pressure,discharge gas temperature, barometric pressure, and ambient temperature.Also, chemical reactor tube 12 temperature changes may be considered andcorrected for based on Darcy's equation. These pressure and temperaturechanges may be measured during the vessel testing period, andcorrections to the pressure measurements may be made to assure that theresults reflect a standard condition of pressure, temperature and flowas initially calibrated, such that all pressure results correlate to thestandard condition established when testing began. This is an especiallyimportant consideration if testing must be interrupted for an unrelatedplant emergency or for inclement weather. Since these parametersgenerally change slowly over time, they can be measured with each andevery use of the wand or at specified periods during the testingprocess. These measurements can be made on or off the wand 18 andapplied to the raw pressure measurements or stored in the memory of thewand 18 or of the host computer 22 for later analysis.

FIGS. 24-26 are schematics showing how the devices described above canbe used for blowing down and measuring a tube 12 in which there is anaxially-oriented obstruction, such as a hollow sleeve 15 containing aplurality of thermocouples, extending along the central axis of the tube12. The thermocouples measure the temperature at various points insidethe tube 12, and a portion 15A of the hollow sleeve projects out one endof the tube 12, either out the top, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 26, or outthe bottom, as shown in FIG. 25, housing the leads from thethermocouples. Since the temperature measurements taken by thethermocouples are used to control the reactor, it is very important thatthe conditions in the tubes 12 containing the hollow sleeves 15 housingthe thermocouples are as close as possible to the conditions in theregular tubes 12. However, it is more difficult to load catalyst into atube 12 that contains an axial obstruction such as the hollow sleeve 15,because the sleeve 15 interferes with the ability of the catalystpellets to pass into and along the tube 12.

The tube test device 18 may be used while loading a tube 12, especiallya tube 12 containing a sleeve 15 or other obstruction, in order to helpensure that the tube 12 is properly loaded with catalyst. In thosesituations, the umbilical wand 18A is used at the end of the tube 12opposite the projecting portion 15A of the hollow sleeve 15. Since thecenter of the injector tube 30A is hollow, the injector tube 30A easilyfits over the end of the hollow sleeve 15 and seals against the insideof the tube 12 in the normal manner.

FIG. 24 shows a worker 200 loading catalyst 202 into the top of the tube12, while another worker 210 is at the bottom of the tube 12, measuringthe back pressure in the tube 12 during the loading process. The worker210, who is taking the measurements using the umbilical 18A, may radiothe worker 200, who is doing the loading, to let him know what the backpressure is as the catalyst is being loaded. The worker 200 who isloading the catalyst will regularly measure the distance from the upperplate 11 to the catalyst level in the tube 12 by some known means, suchas by inserting a tape measure or a measuring stick down into the tube12 until it abuts the catalyst 202. He then uses the back pressurereading to determine whether the catalyst 202 is properly loaded forthat depth. This helps train the worker 200 to load the catalystproperly, and, if there is a bridging or other problem, the catalyst canbe removed and the filling can be restarted at an early stage, as soonas the problem is detected, rather than waiting until the tube iscompletely filled and fails a test. Various measurements may be taken atvarious heights to ensure that the catalyst density is correctthroughout the tube 12. While the workers 200, 210 are shown here usingradios to talk with each other and to transmit the pressure readingsverbally, it is understood that the pressure readings, as well as otherinformation, may be transmitted directly from the tube test device 18 toanother type of receiver such as a laptop computer 22, as describedearlier.

If the projecting end 15A of the hollow sleeve 15 extends out the bottomof the tube 12, as shown in FIG. 25, then the person 210 who is takingthe pressure measurements as well as the person 200 who is loading thecatalyst 202 would be on top of the top plate 11, and they might in factbe the same person.

The umbilical wand 18A may also be used for blowing down a tube 12containing a thermocouple 15, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26. In this case,the umbilical wand 18A is preferably on a modified blowdown device, suchas the device shown in FIG. 17. The modified device need not be equippedto take pressure measurements and may be equipped to permit the flow ofgas at higher pressures than the original device.

As shown in FIG. 25, the worker 200, who is standing on the top plate11, has inserted the umbilical injector tube 30A into the top of thetube 12, surrounding the top end of the hollow sleeve 15 containing thethermocouples, and has sealed the injector tube 30A against the insidesurface of the tube 12. He then blows air through the umbilical 18A andthrough the injector tube 30A to blow dust out the bottom of the tube12. The worker 210 at the bottom of the tube 12 uses a vacuum hose 212to vacuum out the dust 214. Typically, the dust would be allowed toaccumulate at the bottom, and then the worker 210 would come along andvacuum it up after the blowdown is completed.

FIG. 26 shows the same procedure as FIG. 25, except that, since theprojection 15A from the hollow sleeve 15 housing the thermocouplesextends out the top of the tube, the positions of the workers arereversed. The worker 200, who is blowing down the tube 12 is at thebottom of the tube 12, and the worker 210, who is vacuuming out the dust214, is on top of the top plate 11. In this case, the vacuuming is donesimultaneously with the blowdown in order to prevent the dust 214 fromfalling into other tubes and contaminating them.

The embodiments described above are intended simply as examples ofdevices and methods in accordance with the present invention. It will beobvious to those skilled in the art that a wide variety of modificationsmay be made to the embodiments described above without departing fromthe scope of the present invention.

1. A method for assessing chemical reactor tubes, comprising the stepsof: inserting a hollow tube body into a reactor tube; and initiating anautomated sequence of events, including the steps of inflating a sealwhich seals between said hollow tube body and said reactor tube;injecting a controlled gas flow through said hollow tube body into saidreactor tube; and measuring the pressure in said hollow tube body.
 2. Amethod for assessing chemical reactor tubes as recited in claim 1,wherein said automated sequence of events further includes the step ofensuring that the seal is fully inserted into the chemical reactor tubebefore inflating the seal.
 3. A method for assessing chemical reactortubes as recited in claim 2, wherein there is a plurality of said hollowtube bodies, each being inserted into its respective reactor tube, andwherein said automated sequence of events further includes the steps ofsimultaneously injecting a controlled gas flow through each of saidhollow tube bodies and then cycling a multiplex valve to sequentiallyput each of the hollow tube bodies in fluid communication with a singlepressure sensor.
 4. A method for assessing chemical reactor tubes asrecited in claim 2, wherein said automated sequence of events includesthe step of measuring the distance from a first point fixed relative tosaid hollow tube body to a second point fixed relative to the chemicalreactor; using that distance measurement to automatically determinewhich reactor tube is being measured; and automatically associating themeasurement with the tube being measured.